sanctuary
by Mia-Zeklos
Summary: Alec and Jace's story, told through fragments of their journey.


**Notes: Why write things that make sense when you can do _this_ instead, am I right?**

 **On a more serious note, this was actually pretty challenging for me, even with the run-on sentences. Idea/prompts taken from a challenge on livejournal; the challenge is to write a sentence per word, so that's what I did. Inspiration for the title/general soundtrack for this fic is _Church_ by Fall Out Boy. I hope you enjoy this and feedback is always welcome!**

* * *

 _ring_

The Wayland family ring is heavy on Jace's hand, and sometimes he envies Alec for his ability to wear his own with ease; still, he keeps it as a stubborn reminder of the father he'll never see again.

 _hero_

Alec isn't sure if Jace is putting all that effort into training because it's important to him or because he wants to prove himself, and it only occurs to him when he sees him in a real battle that it's neither – Jace is just born for this.

 _memory_

Their fathers's history is the only thing keeping him from finally asking Alec to be his parabatai – the only thing that scares him as much as he possibility of him saying _no_ is the thought of binding their souls together only to be torn apart again.

 _box_

It doesn't matter how often Jace tries to coax Alec out of his deep-rooted conviction that every decision he makes needs the Clave's complete approval; his resolve never wavers and soon enough, Jace gives in – he can keep his parabatai's cage open for as long as he likes and not change a thing, because Alec doesn't want to be set free.

 _run_

And yet, that doesn't seem to be entirely true either – Alec's only truly in his element when he's out on a hunt and, if Jace is honest with himself, that's when he loves him the most.

 _hurricane_

It's when Alec's officially given the reins over the Institute that they start to spend time away from each other and Jace isn't used to being apart from his parabatai, but he can't bring himself to say anything – Alec is up to his neck in work, storming from one assignment to another, and Jace is as proud as he's frustrated.

 _wings_

Alec knows that, in theory, they all share the same amount of angel blood, but whenever Jace fights, he looks almost as if he's flying.

 _cold_

Sometimes Alec can be too cruel in his judgement of the people around him, Jace is the first to admit that and yet, a small, selfish part of him cherishes the fact that he's an exception to the rule.

 _red_

He's one of the few people who can truly make him see red, too; on some level, Jace adores that as well.

 _drink_

Alec isn't much of a drinker and when Jace notices him gulping down his glass of wine on some official dinner or another for the first time, it's also the first time he realises how much of a burden Alec's family pride truly is.

 _midnight_

It's almost always an hour after lights out when Jace slips into Alec's room, quiet and hesitant but, for once, not willing to weather the storm on his own.

 _temptation_

He stays there night after night and when Alec realises that his presence is what helps Jace sleep unbothered, he's tempted to tell him to stay forever if that's what he wants.

 _view_

He never does, though, worried that if he says something, Jace would disappear – the possibility seems all too real in the darkness of his room where he can barely make out his parabatai's features on the moonlight seeping through the windows.

 _music_

Jace playing the piano is one of the few distractions Alec allows himself and sometimes Jace realises just how inordinately pleased he feels about that.

 _silk_

The instrument comes to life under Jace's fingers and on some days, Alec completely loses himself into the melody as it washes over him, gentler than anything he's ever experienced.

 _cover_

The _I love you_ falls unbidden from Jace's lips as they take cover under the bridge and, with the sounds of the closest demonic swarm approaching, it's easy to justify it as nothing but last words.

 _promise_

"We'll talk when we get out of here," Alec says, and while it's not a confession, it's a _start_.

 _dream_

The attack on the Institute is vicious and not without its victims and while Alec is grateful that his wound isn't going to be fatal, his body isn't strong enough to keep the fever at bay and when Jace's face appears in his field of vision, he can no longer be sure if it really is him.

 _candle_

Jace can't remember the last time he's set foot in an actual mundane church, but he does it now, frantic prayers stumbling out in hushed whispers as wax drips over his fingers.

 _talent_

Alec heals eventually, and while he has quite the talent for putting anything unsavoury in the past where it belongs, Jace can't really manage the same.

 _silence_

They don't talk about it at first, busying themselves with their newest assignments, but Jace can still feel Alec's flickering, faint heartbeat next to his own and it's weighing him down much more than any memory should be able to.

 _journey_

It's the war that forces them to be alone together again; the necessity to deliver a message to Idris without the risk of anyone tracking it and while the task itself is tedious, Alec can tell that Jace is as happy to embrace to opportunity as he is.

 _fire_

The nights are surprisingly cold in the outskirts of Alicante even with the approaching summer, so they have no choice but to light a campfire and Jace looks over the flames where the shadows dance over Alec's face and he finally feels _home_.

 _strength_

Whatever Jace had said in his moment of desperation didn't matter, Alec repeated to himself again and again, and if he's managed to keep quiet for over a decade, he isn't going to cave now.

 _mask_

After all, he's been keeping his emotions in check under such a careful disguise for years now; why change anything now?

 _ice_

Alec has these moments of his; moments of withdrawing completely and leaving Jace to wonder just what he had done, but unlike every other occasion before, Jace feels the need to push the topic now.

 _fall_

Summer ends and so does the war and while the world looks like it's mourning all their losses along with them, Jace finds Alec's eyes and, for the first time in a while, sees _life_.

 _forgotten_

There had been so much death, _so much_ , and even months later Jace wakes up sometimes feeling like he's still in the heat of it and every single time, Alec is there to pull him back to the present and the horror is never quite wiped away, but it helps more than anything else.

 _dance_

It's something they all stop questioning eventually – the constant flicker between the _now_ and the past that they can't bury just yet, but eventually, they get used to the whirlwind of it.

 _body_

When Jace realises that they can only find peace in one another and that that had been the case for a while now, he doesn't voice it; as it turns out later, he doesn't need to.

 _sacred_

Alec _knows_ , and the knowledge pours out of every gesture and every touch, as awestruck and reverent as it's fearful.

 _farewells_

Jace understands that, too – it's a constant struggle to remind himself that this life and this love won't turn to dust between his fingers the moment he looks away.

 _world_

Slowly, tentatively, they rebuild what's left of their world; put it back together until they almost can't see the cracks anymore.

 _formal_

"You were born for this," Jace says in response to Alec's _What if it's too ambitious?_ and, as he smoothes down the wrinkles in his tie, tries not to get lost in the beaming smile he gets in return.

 _fever_

It _is_ too ambitious, everything they want – everything they _are_ – but this is a brand new world they've been left with; if they can't burn down whatever's left of the old one, then what would be the point?

 _lies_

Not everything can change and not everything should be able to, and they keep repeating that to each other until it almost feels like the truth.

 _forever_

"I love you," Alec says, and it's a _response_ , not a revelation, and Jace feels like he's been waiting for it for eternity.

 _overwhelmed_

Neither of them quite knows what to do with themselves now that they've arrived to this point, but that's acceptable for now; better than any alternative they can think of.

 _whisper_

"We'll figure everything out," Jace vows in the darkness of the city, quiet enough to only reach his parabatai's ears, the promise too heavy to be deserved by anyone else, "we always have."

 _wait_

It's a slow progress, this thing they share, one step at a time, and Alec can't remember having ever been more content with being patient.

 _talk_

Once they both lay all their cards on the table, it's much easier to see this as something _real_ ; something they would both risk the world for.

 _search_

It takes going through half of the Institute's ancient resources to figure out that they're _safe_ and that all the warnings that had snuck around them for years are nothing but empty threats, but when they're finally sure of it, it's like a weight he hadn't even been aware of is lifted from Jace's shoulders.

 _hope_

For the first time, Jace's reassurances ring true in Alec's mind – maybe, if they're careful, they could reach out and take anything they want for themselves and it would be _fine_.

 _eclipse_

As the darkness engulfs the sky above Salem bit by bit and Jace settles more comfortably into Alec's embrace, he remembers the old superstition about how anything you plant during a solar eclipse is meant to last and by the time he turns around in his arms for a kiss, his parabatai is there to meet him halfway.

 _gravity_

It's supposed to be a work-related visit, the reason they're here in the first place, but it feels _good_ to be so far away from everything they know for a while, especially when it's all so new.

 _highway_

The trip home is a quiet affair, with Jace falling asleep on his shoulder at some point, and when the sun starts rising from the horizon, something in Alec's chest _aches_ with the beauty and finality of it all.

 _unknown_

Whatever lies ahead, it's likely to be difficult and uncertain and too many other things to count, but as they walk towards the Institute, letting go of each other's hands only when the doors open in front of them, Jace can't find it in himself to regret anything at all.

 _lock_

The _thud_ of the door to Alec's room closing behind them is a welcome relief and they gravitate towards one another as soon as they're inside, Jace's lips curling into a smile as they kiss and stumble on their way across the bedroom, every care they'd had until that moment dissipating along with the outside world.

 _breathe_

Jace trails light, barely-there kisses down Alec's shoulders and chest, his parabatai's breath hitching as he smiles down at him, and against his lips Jace can feel the flutter of his heart; _alive_ , _alive_ , _alive_.


End file.
